The printing and printing ink industries have evolved over the years. Letterpress gave way to offset, flexo has become the leading technology in packaging, and digital printing has made major inroads. It is interesting to reflect on the past and take guesses at what is next.

For the 2017 Year in Review, I asked printing ink executives what they consider as the most critical changes during the past decade, and what they expect the next 10 years may bring. The answers are insightful.

Not surprisingly, the most common responses to how the industry has changed focused on the rapid expansion of digital printing and the decline of the publication and commercial printing market. Ten years ago, the Great Recession had yet to hit, and publication printing was still doing well. The economic decline, combined with the growth of the Internet

Continue reading this story and get 24/7 access to Covering the Printing Inks, Coatings and Allied Industries - Ink World for FREE

Ink World magazine has tracked the growth of the ink industry and its allied industries through years of changes, technology, evolution, consolidation and market development. No other magazine has been around for as long or covered as much of the global printing ink business. This website is dedicated to providing in-depth industry coverage and late-breaking news.

Related Editorial

As has become abundantly clear in recent years, raw materials have become a major challenge throughout the supply chain. As I noted in my editorial for the North American Top 20 Report, ink industry leaders are closely watching the cost and availabil…

Every January, Ink World publishes its annual US Ink Directory, a comprehensive listing of ink manufacturers throughout the US. As always, we see ink companies that are acquired or close their operations, while also discovering new companies looking…

The past 18 months have been chaotic for ink manufacturers and their suppliers. The relative stability in terms of costs and supply of key ingredients has disappeared. Now, the supply of important raw materials is erratic and pricing is constantly fl…

Digital printing is making significant inroads in many segments. The ability to produce customized designs or short runs economically is ideal for many markets.
This is especially true in the textile field, and two leading fashion designers, Gabri…

There has been a pattern in terms of digital printing’s emergence in key printing fields. Usually, digital printing makes its initial entrance in markets as innovative printers see the potential for the technology.
Once the case is made that…

For the ink industry, the past 12 months have been filled with mixed signals. On the one hand, the economy is growing, which is good for consumers. That translates into more goods sold, which is good news for printers and their ink suppliers.
Howe…

Printing has changed over the years, and with it, so has the ink industry. I get a first-hand look at this every year via our annual US Ink Directory, a comprehensive list of more than 190 US ink manufacturers. I spoke with many ink manufacturers for…

As we head to press, the southern United States is reeling from Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma. The devastation in terms of lives lost is terrible; the damage to infrastructure is incredible and, for now, incalculable.
We have seen the wrecka…

Red gets read. The fast-moving consumer goods business moves even faster, and multinationals rely on ink suppliers to get their message out quickly and effectively.
As a result, printing and the ink industry are also becoming more international. P…

With the major gains being made in inkjet, printing has transformed dramatically in recent years. Transactional printing, wide format and ceramic tiles are now almost completely digitally printed, and inkjet has made major gains in label and narrow w…

The trends that we have seen in recent years – the growth of packaging and digital printing and the decline of the publication and commercial markets – are clearly increasing. Our annual North American Top 20 Report continues to show thes…

Every January, Ink World publishes our annual US Ink Directory, a comprehensive listing detailing more than 190 US ink manufacturers, ranging from major manufacturers who supply a full complement of inks to specialists who successfully focus on niche…

In recent years, consolidation has reshaped the printing industry, with billion-dollar printers such as Quebecor World (acquired by Quad/Graphics) and Consolidated Graphics (RR Donnelley) leaving the field on the publication side and Rexam (Ball Corp…

Stability is a wonderful word for ink industry purchasing executives, and one they haven’t had the opportunity to use very often for nearly a decade. During this period, the prices of key ink ingredients have dramatically shot up, while availab…

The printing industry is changing rapidly, and digital printing is on the rise, and the attendees at drupa 2016 saw this evolution at every turn. The growth of packaging and energy curing continues to drive expansion in printing.
Printing is chang…

Cookies help us to provide you with an excellent service. By using our website, you declare yourself in agreement with our use of cookies. You can obtain detailed information about the use of cookies on our website by clicking on "More information”.